Thursday, July 22, 2010

PA Masonic Blood Club's INCREDIBLE Support for DeMolay

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES! (O.K., somebody already uses that slogan, but it is true for DeMolay, and for Masonic Blood Club Members as well!)

Since 2005, members of PA DeMolay (and PA Rainbow and PA Job's Daughters, too!) have been eligible for membership in the PA Masonic Blood Club. The best time to develop lifelong blood donors is to start them donating and taking an interest at the earliest age possible. Giving blood is a gift of life for those in need. It is a selfless act of service to the general good of the community and the world. We need to develop the habit of giving blood in MORE donors, for the benefit of us all.

AS A BENEFIT TO DeMOLAYS WHO DONATE BLOOD, the PA Masonic Blood Donors Club has offered BLOOD CLUB MEMBERSHIP and the BENEFITS that come with it. DeMolay Members need to be of the proper age (17) and weight (110 lbs. min.) before they donate, but they can still become members if someone donates FOR them. That means another family member or an advisor or a fellow DeMolay could donate in their behalf, providing them the benefits of membership in the blood club. We want them to make additional donations-- at least one a year, and more, if they can do it, because they see that the need is so great -- but their membership is good until they reach majority.

What are those benefits? Members of the blood club are protected when charged for blood or required to replace blood by the hospital. Their membership will also protect their parents(guardians) and siblings (for the family unit in which they are claimed as as an eligible dependent for IRS tax purposes.) THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE BENEFIT that most of us will never have to use, but for those who do, it can save hundreds, and in rare cases, even thousands, of dollars.

WHEN YOU ARE SELLING MEMBERSHIP IN DeMOLAY that is a benefit that most teenagers won't really understand or care about, unless a family member has ever desperately needed blood. But parents will probably be impressed!

The Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation keeps the record of all youth blood club members, and you can join by submitting the youth donor form. Membership cards will be mailed once a year to all the youth members, who remain members until they reach majority. (If they become Masons before that time, their membership is converted to Masonic membership in the club.)

The PA Masonic Blood Club does so much more for DeMolay, as well. Did you know that the Club will support blood drives your Chapters sponsor, by advertising in the local newspaper, and providing a banner to be used outside the donation location? They will notify all Masonic Lodges in the area and ask that they place the information into their lodge meeting notice to support your Chapter's blood drive. They will do this if Chapters run blood drives on their own or participate with their local church, school, business or local Masonic group.

The PA Masonic Blood club will also support chapters by purchasing advertising in anniversary books and other chapter publications that allow advertising and are approved by the Masonic Blood Donor Club.

They will also provid speakers for your chapter meetings, either from the club or from a local blood collecting organization. (Red Cross, etc.)

The Blood Club also allows a Lodge to designate Masonic Youth Groups as the recipient of their $10/pint reward for blood donations collected at Lodge-sponsored blood drives.

SO, WITH ALL THIS SUPPORT OFFERED, why are there only 14 Masonic Youth Members of the PA Masonic Blood Club?

Every Chapter ought to have an Advisor and a committee chairman who are assigned to promote membership in the PA Masonic Blood Club. The simple duty of this Advisor and chairman is to reach out to members and to their families, and encourage them to join the club by making a blood donation and then filing the form. Help your Chapters. Help your members! HELP YOUR COMMUNITY IN NEED! Make it happen!

2 comments:

If someone is interested in doing this in there chapter, do I talk to one of my advisors or is there a number I can call to set up a blood drive(with the advisors knowledge of course)? Because I personally think this is a great thing and while doing the blood drive, the group could have information about DeMolay for the people who come to give blood.